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NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS  
NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS

 

12.  NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS

 

Interests in Consolidated Real Estate Joint Ventures

 

2301 Tillotson Ave, LLC (“Tillotson”) was formed to own, operate, and develop a self-storage facility in New York, NY.  The Company owns a 51% interest in Tillotson and 49% is owned by another member (the “Tillotson Member”).  The facility is expected to commence operations during 2016.  The Tillotson Member has an option to put its ownership interest in the venture to the Company for $17.0 million within the one-year period after construction of the facility is substantially complete.  Additionally, the Company has a one-year option to call the ownership interest of the Tillotson Member for $17.0 million beginning on the second anniversary of the facility’s construction being substantially complete.  The Company is accreting the $17.0 million liability during the development period and has accrued $2.4 million as of December 31, 2014.  The Company determined that Tillotson is a variable interest entity, and that the Company is the primary beneficiary.  Accordingly, the Company consolidates the assets, liabilities, and results of operations of Tillotson.  At December 31, 2014, Tillotson had total assets of $2.9 million and total liabilities of $2.8 million.

 

251 Jamaica Ave, LLC (“Jamaica Ave”) was formed to own, operate, and develop a self-storage facility in New York, NY.  The Company owns a 51% interest in Jamaica Ave and 49% is owned by another member (the “Jamaica Ave Member”).  The facility is expected to commence operations during 2016.  The Jamaica Ave Member has an option to put its ownership interest in the venture to the Company for $12.5 million within the one-year period after construction of the facility is substantially complete.  Additionally, the Company has a one-year option to call the ownership interest of the Jamaica Ave Member for $12.5 million beginning on the second anniversary of the facility’s construction being substantially complete.  The Company is accreting the $12.5 million liability during the development period and has accrued $6.6 million as of December 31, 2014.  The Company determined that Jamaica Ave is a variable interest entity, and that the Company is the primary beneficiary.  Accordingly, the Company consolidates the assets, liabilities, and results of operations of Jamaica Ave.  At December 31, 2014, Jamaica Ave had total assets of $15.2 million and total liabilities of $7.3 million.

 

CS SNL New York Ave, LLC and 186 Jamaica Avenue, LLC, collectively known as “SNL”, were formed with a partner to own, operate and develop two self-storage facilities in the boroughs of New York, NY.  The Company owns 90% of SNL and the facilities are expected to commence operations during 2015.  The Company consolidates the assets, liabilities, and results of operations of SNL.  At December 31, 2014, SNL had total assets of $12.3 million and total liabilities of $2.3 million.  The Company has provided $1.2 million of a total $20.1 million loan commitment to SNL which is secured by a mortgage on the real estate assets of SNL.  The loan and related interest was eliminated during consolidation.

 

Shirlington Rd, LLC (“SRLLC”) was formed to own, operate, and develop a self-storage facility in Northern Virginia.  The Company owns a 90% interest in SRLLC and the facility is expected to commence operations during 2015.  The Company consolidates the assets, liabilities, and results of operations of SRLLC.  During 2013, SRLLC acquired land for development for $13.1 million. In 2014, SRLLC completed the planned subdivision of the land into two parcels and sold one parcel for $6.5 million.  No gain or loss was recorded as a result of this transaction.  SRLLC retained the second parcel of land for the development of the storage facility.  At December 31, 2014, SRLLC had total assets of $14.7 million and total liabilities of $10.6 million.  The Company has provided $9.6 million of a total $14.6 million loan commitment to SRLLC, which loan is secured by a mortgage on the real estate assets of SRLLC.  The loan and related interest was eliminated during consolidation.

 

USIFB, LLP (“USIFB”) was formed to own, operate, acquire and develop self-storage facilities in England.  The Company owns a 97% interest in the USIFB through a wholly-owned subsidiary and USIFB commenced operations at two facilities in London, England during 2008.  The Company determined that USIFB is a variable interest entity, and that the Company is the primary beneficiary.  Accordingly, the Company consolidates the assets, liabilities and results of operations of USIFB.  On December 31, 2013 the Company provided a $6.8 million (£4.1 million) loan secured by a mortgage on real estate assets of USIFB.  On June 30, 2014, one of the assets was sold for net proceeds of $7.0 million and the loan was repaid with proceeds from the sale.  The loan and any related interest was eliminated during consolidation.  At December 31, 2014, USIFB had total assets of $5.7 million and total liabilities of $0.2 million.

 

On August 13, 2009, the Company, through a wholly-owned affiliate, formed a joint venture (“HART”) with an affiliate of Heitman, LLC (“Heitman”) to own and operate 22 self-storage facilities, which are located throughout the United States.  Upon formation, Heitman contributed approximately $51 million of cash to a newly-formed limited partnership and the Company contributed certain unencumbered wholly-owned facilities with an agreed upon value of approximately $102 million to such limited partnership.  In exchange for its contribution of those facilities, the Company received a cash distribution from HART of approximately $51 million and retained a 50% interest in HART. The Company was the managing partner of HART and managed the facilities owned by HART in exchange for a market rate management fee.  The Company determined that HART was a variable interest entity, and that the Company was the primary beneficiary.  Accordingly, the Company consolidated the assets, liabilities and results of operations of HART.  The 50% interest that was owned by Heitman was reflected as noncontrolling interest in subsidiaries within permanent equity, separate from the Company’s equity on the consolidated balance sheets.

 

On August 13, 2012, the Company purchased the remaining 50% interest in HART from Heitman for $61.1 million, and now owns 100% of HART. Accordingly, the Company wholly owns the facilities which are unencumbered by any property-level secured debt.  The Company previously consolidated HART, and therefore the acquisition of the remaining 50% interest is reflected in the equity section of the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.   As a result of the transaction, the Company eliminated noncontrolling interest in subsidiaries of $38.7 million and recorded a reduction to additional paid-in capital of $18.5 million.

 

Operating Partnership Ownership

 

The Company follows guidance regarding the classification and measurement of redeemable securities.  Under this guidance, securities that are redeemable for cash or other assets, at the option of the holder and not solely within the control of the issuer, must be classified outside of permanent equity/capital.  This classification results in certain outside ownership interests being included as redeemable noncontrolling interests outside of permanent equity/capital in the consolidated balance sheets.  The Company makes this determination based on terms in applicable agreements, specifically in relation to redemption provisions.

 

Additionally, with respect to redeemable ownership interests in the Operating Partnership held by third parties for which CubeSmart has a choice to settle the redemption by delivery of its own shares, the Operating Partnership considered the guidance regarding accounting for derivative financial instruments indexed to, and potentially settled in, a company’s own shares, to evaluate whether CubeSmart controls the actions or events necessary to presume share settlement. The guidance also requires that noncontrolling interests classified outside of permanent capital be adjusted each period to the greater of the carrying value based on the accumulation of historical cost or the redemption value.

 

Approximately 1.4% and 1.6% of the outstanding OP Units as of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively, were not owned by CubeSmart, the sole general partner.  The interests in the Operating Partnership represented by these OP Units were a component of the consideration that the Operating Partnership paid to acquire certain self-storage facilities. The holders of the OP Units are limited partners in the Operating Partnership and have the right to require CubeSmart to redeem all or part of their OP Units for, at the general partner’s option, an equivalent number of common shares of CubeSmart or cash based upon the fair value of an equivalent number of common shares of CubeSmart.  However, the partnership agreement contains certain provisions that could result in a cash settlement outside the control of CubeSmart and the Operating Partnership, as CubeSmart does not have the ability to settle in unregistered shares.  Accordingly, consistent with the guidance, the Operating Partnership will record the OP Units owned by third parties outside of permanent capital in the consolidated balance sheets. Net income or loss related to the OP Units owned by third parties is excluded from net income or loss attributable to Operating Partner in the consolidated statements of operations.

 

At December 31, 2014 and 2013, 2,257,486 and 2,275,730 OP Units, respectively, were held by third parties.  The per unit cash redemption amount of the outstanding OP Units was calculated based upon the average of the closing prices of the common shares of CubeSmart on the New York Stock Exchange for the final 10 trading days of the year. Based on the Company’s evaluation of the redemption value of the redeemable noncontrolling interests, the Company has reflected these interests at their redemption value at December 31, 2014 and 2013, as the estimated redemption value exceeded their carrying value. The Operating Partnership recorded an increase to OP Units owned by third parties and a corresponding decrease to capital of $14.8 million and $3.3 million at December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.